An absolutely massive set of awesome EPs released for us today/this week to check out. From country to death metal, we span a bit of everything so let’s dive right in!
Miss Vain: Sempiternal Drive
The sophomore EP from the Finnish metal outfit is just as awesome as their debut! From ch0nky riffing to catchy melodies, choruses and harmonies to sick soloing to even some incredible breakdowns, it’s packed full of all of the good stuff you’d want from a modern melodic metal band. Heck, we even get some awesome screams/growls too, all off which sounded incredible and fit the style well. It very much feels like a continuation of that previous release, continuing that European sound reminiscent of Dust Bolt. None of that is at all a complaint, either! It’s five tracks that are all just as good as each other, making it impossible to pick highlights. I loved their debut, but this is right up there alongside it, in my opinion. The band didn’t get nearly the credit they deserved with their debut, and hopefully this will finally push them up to the level they deserve to be at. It’s another solid 9/10 that I’d recommend to any metal fan reading this!
CBZK: Dybuctwo
This is one hell of an interesting release, and honestly one of the most creative mixes of genres I think I’ve ever heard. The Polish/British duo combine together everything from industrial to hip hop to black metal, and it works together far better than it has any right to! It’s certainly not going to be for everyone, but it’s certainly worth checking out if you’re curious as it’s a fantastic collection of tracks and sounds. ‘Płyty’ and ‘Duchota’ are personal highlights, but the whole EP is a pretty great listen! There’s definitely a lot of dark trap influence, but with all the added elements to it it works so well. For a debut release it’s incredible, and really proves the concept in a major way. If you are at all curious, I cannot recommend this EP enough. The duo certainly have a new fan in me, and I already can’t wait to hear what they come out with next! 8/10
Rattlesnakes: Deeper Shades of Torment
We’ve already checked out this awesome EP! Check out our review of it here!
Everette: Simple as That
It’s no secret that I absolutely adore this artist. Between reviewing Keys to Kentucky and Side B, as well as seeing them live, anyone who’s followed us for a while knows that. However, I’m expecting a rather different release, this time around. Becoming essentially a solo project new for Brent after Anthony sadly stepped back from the band at the end of last year, I have to admit I have no idea what to expect heading into this. I haven’t even had the chance to check out single ‘Freight Train’, so I am going in completely blind.
If Brent should have taught me anything by now, it’s that I should go into these with high expectations, and will still be blown away. Not only does he have one of my favourite voices in country these days, but his lyric writing and vocal delivery of them is all utterly phenomenal every time. And instrumentally, from the guitars to drums to harmonica to keys and everything else subtly included, it all fits the vocals perfectly. ‘Freight Train’ is indeed a great single, but it’s accompanied by three other amazing tracks. The closing track in particular is beautiful and absolutely incredible. Yes, I do find myself missing Anthony’s harmonies and (more often) his slide guitar, but the songwriting throughout is so good that it’s very easy to just get lost in the music and forget all that. It’s chilled-out, emotional and fun all in equal measure. Brent is the master at writing somehow both neo-traditional and yet also modern-sounding country music; there really is no one like Everette. I’m so glad he’s continued this project on, and this release is honestly up there with the rest of them, in this writer’s humble opinion. My only issue is that it’s only four tracks, it music be full-length album time now,EP right…? 9.5/10
Vortex: Alien Realms
So, first things first… DAMN WHAT SICK ARTWORK. As for the music itself, it’s pretty sick too! The blackened death release is 17-minutes of awesomeness, and displays a surprising amount of dynamics to it. Yes, it’s brutally heavy for most of it, but it’s also suitably epic and has moments of reprieve that only makes the rest of it heavier. ‘When Humans Defy the Void’ is a perfect opener that sets the tone for the band and the release fantastically, but the subsequent three tracks are just as good, too! It all flows amazingly well together too, somehow feeling like the genre’s answer to a rock opera. If you like the heavier end of metal I cannot recommend this enough. They’re another band on this list who don’t get the recognition they deserve, and hopefully this awesome EP will push them up to the level they deserve to be at. I’m certainly going to be listening to this again in the coming weeks and months, and the band have a big new fan in me. It’s a solid 8.5/10!
Revenant: Best Medicine
We’ve also checked out this incredible release, too! Aren’t you lucky?! Check it out here.
Halflives: How Much a Heart Can Take Before it Breaks
The French alt-rock woman is back with another blinder of an EP! I remember checking out V back in the day and really enjoying it, so have been hyped for this release since I first heard about it. It certainly lives up to that hype too, being a fun, upbeat pop-rock release! It harkens back to a by-gone time where the likes of Parmore and Pierce the Veil seemed to rule the rock world. Having said that, it does also have plenty of modern feel and sound to it too, especially in the spectacular production. Tracks like ‘No Way Out’ and the punk/girlie pop ‘perfectly broken’ are personal favourites, but there really isn’t a bad song on the EP. Her ability to change styles throughout such a short release is incredible too, making it constantly feel fresh and interesting. She is somehow getting better and better with each release, and for anyone who’s into the lighter side of rock, this EP is very much for you! It’s a very easy 8/10 from us!
Cole Phillips: Steel Toes and Texacos
Following up on his massive 2024 album, Cole released a fantastic five-song collection here! It’s chilled-out; built around him and his guitar, accompanied by some simple drums and other strings and backing vocals. It gives heavy Zach Bryan vibes, in both the style and the deep lyric-writing. It also has a slight Jack Johnson feel to it, which I also love! That also makes it incredibly hard to pick highlights, as it’s all so good! It’s not going to be for everyone as it is pretty slow and stripped-back and chilled-out. However, I absolutely loved it and it felt like the perfect 15-minutes of this style of country music. I somehow missed his album last year, but will definitely be going to check it out as if it’s anything close to this sort of quality, it’ll be incredible. If you’re into country, do yourself a favour and check this out! It’s a solid 9/10 from me, I can’t get enough of it!